IIT 3C87SX-20

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IIT 3C87SX-20 processor (front)
IIT 3C87SX-20 processor (back)

The IIT 3C87SX-20 is a math coprocessor and was designed to work with an Intel or AMD 80386SX processor. It is a special version of the IIT 3c87The main CPU is able to offload floating point arithmetic operations to this coprocessor, so that overall system performance can improve during processor-intensive tasks involving these types of calculations.

This 32-bit chip was introduced in 1989, came with core frequencies of 16, 20, 25 and 33 MHz, and had a PLCC-68 package type. This particular unit is manufactured in week 2/1992.

Coprocessors

Before the Intel 80486 CPU existed, CPUs only performed integer calculation instructions. Floating-point calculations had to be done in software, which was much slower. To address this shortfall, Intel designed a separate math coprocessor, also commonly called a Floating Point Unit (FPU).